Hunting draw weight

[Lonnie bailey]

What is the lightest draw weight you would hunt with?

[TxAg]

A spear

[refugerambler]

No less than 50# for me, but prefer 55-65#. I like slinging a heavy arrow.

[Shawn Leonard]

Depending what I was hunting, deer hunting I have hunted with as little as 42#s and a 320 grain arrow, killed 2 deer and a coyote and got holes out both sides. I now like 51-54#s for everything I hunt. Shawn

[RkyMtn Joe]

I hunt Whitetails almost exclusively these days and I prefer a bow in the mid 50's which is down from the mid 60's I used to shoot.  Being 72 years old does make a difference.

[Goshawkin]

Here in Connecticut,40# or I'd be breaking the law.I think being accurate with a SHARP broadhead is more important than draw weight.That said,I prefer bows around 65-70 at my draw because I like shooting heavy wood arrows with big snuffers on the end as fast as I can.The speed helps with the accuracy. I'm sure I could kill a deer with my daughter's 17#@18" longbow if I missed a rib and got a lung with a razor sharp broadhead. I know of a deer that was killed with a BB gun. The guy shoot at a deer in his garden to spook it. The bb slipped between the ribs and into a lung.He found the deer dead the next evening.

[Mojostick]

For whitetails? I'd say about 30lbs with a 2 blade and 10-12 yard shots would be the minimum. I already get complete passthru's with 40lbs and the arrow continues on for 20 yards after the passthru, so I assume mid 30's would at least push the broadhead thru the opposite side of the skin on a deer.
In Michigan, there is no minimum weight rules and from my 15 plus years in the sport shop industry, I've heard stories of women and kids killing both deer and black bear with recurves and longbows as low as the high 20lbs range, with hair shaving sharp 2 blades at very short ranges.

[Bonebuster]

I have two boys who both killed deer with recurves UNDER forty pounds and short draw lengths.

Arrow weights at or slightly above ten grains per pound, sharp two edge broadheads, and close range shots....Just like Mojostick said.

Honestly we never saw COMPLETE pass thru arrows, but did manage two holes about half the time.

My wife is currently shooting a little, snappy longbow at about thirty five pounds at her 25" draw.  Her 400 grain arrow is hitting with plenty of  oomph to get both lungs.

[VictoryHunter]

The lowest state minimum I know of is #30lbs. My wife will be hunting with #35lbs next year. Lots of animals are taken with 35-40lb bows.

[MCS]

Good for you RMJ.

[Trumpkin the Dwarf]

40 is as low as I would personally go on deer. But I am a big fan of overkill. For elk, I wouldn't go lower than 45, and that would be with single bevel 2 blades, a high foc arrow, and short shots. Not to say 45 won't kill elk, I am just not a fan of light setups. Give me a heavy bow, heavy arrows, and big broadheads every time!

[damascusdave]

In Alberta our rules say 40 pounds at 28 inches plus a minimum arrow length of 24 inches...I think that opens the door for hunting legally with bows close to thirty pounds draw weight...for that reason I will hunt with 63 pounds at 30 inches and 660 grain arrows just because I can

DDave

[straitera]

Sorry folks! Just because you can doesn't mean you should!

Borderline draw weights are convoluted thinking IMHO & will only minimize your chances of ethically taking that animal from the woods. Some can (experienced hunters), most can't. State Game Agencies review these figures accordingly for the sole purpose of legislation.

I will not argue heavy vs whatever # as it has been done too often herein. Just accept responsibility for these beautiful animals & work towards doing your ethical best. That's all it takes.

[damascusdave]

This kind of thread is really an ethics question...I believe every new bow hunter ought to have to read the story of Paul Schafer's long distance recovery of a wounded antelope...that is the epitome of ethical traditional bow hunting

DDave

[Mojostick]

Trumpkin,
I realize single bevels are all the fad now, but having used low weight bows, used single and double bevel heads (both shaving sharp) and killed lots of deer, the double bevels out perform single bevels so much that I'll never use them again. For low weight bows, a Stinger or Silver Flame seems to perform the best. I assume Werewolf double bevels would be great too. I lost deer due to getting sucked into the single bevel fad and getting like 4" of penetration on broadside shots a Stinger would passthru, with 40lbs. Just my two cents.

[stagetek]

40# is as low as I'd go. Check your game regs. A lot of states have minimums.

[dougedwards]

In Virginia there is no state minimum for poundage but the bow must be capable of projecting an arrow (no definition concerning length or weight) 100 yards.  Kind of strange since I doubt any game officer is going to ask a hunter to shoot an arrow into the air and then measure the distance that it travels before it hits ground.

For deer, I would think if shooting distance is limited to within 18 yards and if the bow is capable of shooting any 350+ grain arrow to 150+ fps with a 1" very sharp two blade head.... that good penetration could be expected IF the shot only hits in the mid to lower rib cage.  Lots of conditions in that statement but that is the type of consideration that you have to give this issue before proceeding into the field to hunt.

I do understand that deer have been killed with spears and 25 lb bows but it would be hard to climb into my stand with any confidence at all if I was hunting with either.

Doug

[Bowwild]

I hope I will be able to hunt with the upper 47-51 pound (at my draw length of 26") for as long as I'm able to hunt.

However, if I am someday unable to hunt with those weights I'd feel comfortable, with proper game angle, perfectly tuned arrow, and razor-share broadhead, effective at 40 pounds.

I've killed  many white-tail, mulies, antelope, and black bear over the years with Bear Razorheads. I started shooting single-bevel Helix broadheads in 2010. I'm not suggesting they are better than double bevel but I am very pleased with the Helix. I have a half-dozen unshot Silver Flames in my broadhead drawer. I'm sure they would work just fine but I have no reason to change.

Five for five on boiler room shots the past 3 years. Not a single deer has gone further than 35 yards after the  hit.

[MnFn]

I think there is a better question to ask.  I have killed a 150 lb whitetail buck with a 40 lb bow, but it was when I was very young.

I find myself at age 61 this year asking "with a reasonable amount of practice what can I realistically hunt with?" I don't think 60# and plus are in my future any more but I have worked up to a 58# at my draw  with a 600+ grain arrow for elk. I don't like jumping from a heavier bow to a lighter one so I will be hunting with 53 to 58 lb bows.

Just my thoughts for what it is worth.
Gary

I guess I really can not answer that question. All my bows right now are 50# or more and I do not want to go lower than that. If I had to though for some reason, I'm sure I would. I don't know what is "too light" but I'm sure I would keep hunting down in weight until I thought it was just too low. I love hunting with my stick and DREAD the day I can no longer do it!

Bisch